Released: May 27, 1963
Songwriter: Bob Dylan
Producer: John Hammond Tom Wilson (producer)
[Verse 1]
While riding on a train going west
I fell asleep for to take my rest
I dreamed a dream that made me sad
Concerning myself and the first few friends I had
[Verse 2]
With half-damp eyes I stared to the room
Where my friends and I spent many an afternoon
Where we together weathered many a storm
Laughin and singin till the early hours of the morn
[Verse 3]
By the old wooden stove where our hats was hung
Our words was told, our songs was sung
Where we longed for nothing and were satisfied
Jokin' and talkin' about the world outside
[Verse 4]
With hungry hearts through the heat and cold
We never much thought we could get very old
We thought we could sit forever in fun
And our chances really was a million to one
[Instrument Break]
[Verse 5]
As easy it was to tell black from white
It was all that easy to tell wrong from right
And our choices, they was few so the thought never hit
That the one road we traveled would ever shatter or split
[Verse 6]
How many a year has passed and gone
Many a gamble has been lost and won
And many a road taken by many a first friend
And each one I’ve never seen again
[Instrument Break]
[Verse 7]
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
That we could sit simply in that room again
Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat
And I’d give it all gladly if our lives could be like that
While riding on a train going west
I fell asleep for to take my rest
I dreamed a dream that made me sad
Concerning myself and the first few friends I had
[Verse 2]
With half-damp eyes I stared to the room
Where my friends and I spent many an afternoon
Where we together weathered many a storm
Laughin and singin till the early hours of the morn
[Verse 3]
By the old wooden stove where our hats was hung
Our words was told, our songs was sung
Where we longed for nothing and were satisfied
Jokin' and talkin' about the world outside
[Verse 4]
With hungry hearts through the heat and cold
We never much thought we could get very old
We thought we could sit forever in fun
And our chances really was a million to one
[Instrument Break]
[Verse 5]
As easy it was to tell black from white
It was all that easy to tell wrong from right
And our choices, they was few so the thought never hit
That the one road we traveled would ever shatter or split
[Verse 6]
How many a year has passed and gone
Many a gamble has been lost and won
And many a road taken by many a first friend
And each one I’ve never seen again
[Instrument Break]
[Verse 7]
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
That we could sit simply in that room again
Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat
And I’d give it all gladly if our lives could be like that
more tracks from the album
The Bootleg Series, Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964
- Tomorrow Is a Long Time (Demo)
- All Over You
- Long Ago, Far Away
- Man on the Street
- Standing on the Highway
- Ballad for a Friend
- Poor Boy Blues
- John Brown
- Seven Curses
- Only a Hobo
- I’d Hate to Be You on That Dreadful Day
- Long Time Gone
- Farewell
- Man on the Street (Fragment)
- Hard Times in New York Town
- Bound to Lose, Bound to Win
- Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues
- Guess I’m Doing Fine
- Ain’t Gonna Grieve
- Gypsy Lou
- Whatcha Gonna Do?
- Hero Blues
- Paths of Victory
- Walkin’ Down the Line
- Quit Your Low Down Ways
- Oxford Town
- Bob Dylan’s Dream
- Bob Dylan’s Blues
- Girl from the North Country
- A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
- Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
- Blowin’ in the Wind
- Mr. Tambourine Man
- Masters of War
- I Shall Be Free
- Let Me Die in My Footsteps
- Rambling Gambling Willie
- Baby, I’m in the Mood for You
- I’ll Keep It with Mine
- Baby, Let Me Follow You Down
- Mama, You Been on My Mind
- The Death of Emmett Till
- When the Ship Comes In
- Boots of Spanish Leather
- Ballad of Hollis Brown
- Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues
- The Times They Are A-Changin’
From the albums
Bob Dylan popular songs
- Murder Most Foul
- Blowin’ in the Wind
- The Times They Are A-Changin’
- All Along the Watchtower
- Like a Rolling Stone
- Make You Feel My Love
- Hurricane
- Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
- Mr. Tambourine Man
- A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
- Subterranean Homesick Blues
- Desolation Row
- Tangled Up in Blue
- Masters of War
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
- It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
- Girl from the North Country
- Tempest
- It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
- Ballad of a Thin Man
- Visions of Johanna
- I Contain Multitudes
- To Fall in Love with You
- Shelter from the Storm